Government of Western AustraliaDepartment of Housing To A�ordable Housing

OPENING DOORS

ISSUE 4 : WINTER 2013

Does your smoke alarm make beeping noises all the time? Do you sometimes want to take your smoke alarm down to get some peace and quiet? This is not a good idea.

Smoke alarms are very important because they keep you and your family safe. Smoke alarms make beeping noises for a few reasons:

You hear: The smoke alarm making a beeping noise that goes all the time without stopping.

This means: A fire may have started and the smoke alarm is detecting smoke OR your smoke alarm could be faulty or broken.

What you should do: Immediately check to see if there is a fire or any smoke in your house. If you see fire or smoke, you and your family should leave the house straight away and then call for help.

If there is no fire or smoke and there doesn’t seem to be a reason for your smoke alarm to be beeping, call your Housing Officer as soon as you can. Don’t cover it up or do anything else to the smoke alarm.

You hear: Short beeping sounds that go for about 20 minutes.

This means: Your community or town’s power has gone off. Your smoke alarm will beep for about 20 minutes and then stop. This is OK because it means the smoke alarm batteries are recharging.

What you should do: Be a bit patient! Don’t cover up or do anything at all to the smoke alarm. If the power comes back on but your smoke alarm continues to beep for longer than 40 minutes then you should call your Housing Officer as soon as you can.

Anytime your smoke alarm beeps it is important to check your house straight away to see if there is any fire or smoke. It is also important to check if your smoke alarm is working at least once a month.

To check your smoke alarm you should press the “Test” button. If you test your smoke alarm and there are no beeps, or it starts beeping and doesn’t stop, then you should call your Housing Officer straight away.

Smoke alarm safety this winter

KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFESEE BACK PAGE

Remote area allowanceDid you know you may be eligible to receive a Remote Area Allowance payment?Remote Area Allowance is a Centrelink payment for people who live in a remote area and are already receiving a type of Centrelink payment.You may be eligible for Remote Area Allowance if you usually live in a remote area that qualifies, or if you have recently moved into a remote area and you receive any of these payments from Centrelink:• Age Pension• Disability Support Pension• Newstart Allowance• Parenting Payment (single)• Youth AllowanceStudents who live and study on community are also eligible for Remote Area Allowance.

Students who study away from home but usually live in a remote area may also be eligible for the Remote Area Allowance for those times when they are home. To find out if you are eligible for the Remote Area Allowance, you should contact Centrelink on 1800 136 380.

Less humbug - alcohol-free houses Tenants from both Carnarvon and Meekatharra have recently had their houses declared alcohol-free under the law, so they can reduce humbug in and around their homes. In Meekathara, a common area has also been declared alcohol-free.The Department of Housing and local police believe this is a helpful step towards reducing humbug in the community.Humbug has also been reduced in other communities that have tried out alcohol-free houses.Humbug is often caused by too much alcohol, and this can make it hard for tenants to control their householders and visitors. This can lead to property damage and the disturbance of others living nearby. Alcohol-free houses can help tenants who may be at risk of losing their homes because of too much humbug. Alcohol-free houses will also

help other people in the community live in harmony. An alcohol-free house means that alcohol isn’t allowed inside AND outside of a house. If someone is caught drinking alcohol or bringing alcohol into an alcohol-free house they could be fined up to $2000 under the law. If you think you would like to make your house alcohol-free then you should talk to your Housing Officer for more information.

Area Manager Meekatharra Sharon Fogarty and Senior Sergeant Steve Martyn with Hill Street tenants Wendy Abbott and Lynnette Riley

Changes to the Residential Tenancies ActWhat is the Residential Tenancies Act?The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (RTA) is State Government law that outlines the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords (Department of Housing or its agent) in Western Australia. Both the tenant and the landlord (Department of Housing or its agent) must abide by this Act, which is upheld in the Magistrates Court.Why is it being amended?From time to time various Acts (laws) are looked at and changed so they remain up to date.Several areas of the RTA were looked at and needed to be changed.The changes have been made to help make the Act clearer and fairer for all people who are renting properties in Western Australia.How will the changes affect you?The Department of Housing will make changes

to some policies, procedures and forms to make sure we abide by changes in the Act. Many of the changes will apply to both new and existing tenants. If your property is in a HMA community, you may have to sign a new Tenancy Agreement. Your Housing Officer will talk to you more about this. Some of the changes to the Act include:• Changes to the Tenancy Agreement• New time limits for giving tenants Property

Condition Reports• New rules around ending a tenancy when a

tenant abandons a propertyWhere can I get more information?If you want more information on the changes to the RTA you can contact the Department of Commerce, (Consumer Protection) on 1300 304 054 or go to www.commerce.wa.gov.au

Heater safety this winterWinter means getting warm and sitting by the heater, but did you know that heaters are a leading cause of home fire deaths? Here are some simple steps to help you stop most heater fires and enjoy a safe winter.• Have a child and pet free zone of 3 feet

(1 metre) around heaters.• Place the heater at least 3 feet (1 metre) away

from furniture, curtains, bedding, clothing, rugs or other items that could catch fire.

• Never sit on or put anything on top of a heater, especially clothes.

• Never use your oven to heat your home.• Remember to turn heaters off when you leave

the room or go to bed.• Test all smoke alarms monthly. Never remove them – they could save your life!

• Keep the heater away from water and damp

areas. Do not touch the heater if you are wet or have wet hands, as it may cause an electrical shock.

• Do not use your heater with a power strip or extension cord. Overheating of a power strip or extension cord could cause a fire.

• Make sure the heater is placed on a hard, flat surface that cannot catch fire. Do not place your heater on furniture as it could fall and cause a fire.

If you notice a problem with your RCD/MCB or smoke alarm please call your Regional Service Provider or Housing Officer.

The Department of Housing has installed a number of safety devices in your home.

The first one is a combined Residual Current Devices/Miniature Circuit Breakers (RCD/MCBs),which provides protection against electrocution and the overloading of all circuits in the property.

The second is a smoke alarm, which alerts you to smoke presence in the property.

How to test your RCD/MCB• Press the TEST button on the RCD/MCB; you should hear a click.

• The lever will flip downwards in the ‘off’ position.

• If the RCD/MCB doesn’t flip downwards, you need to contact Housing Direct on 1300 137 677.

• If the lever does flip downwards, then it works.

• Flip the lever upwards to ‘on’ and this will turn the power on.

How to test your smoke alarm• To test your smoke alarm turn your power off at the mains. Press

the TEST button on your smoke alarm (as illustrated); you should hear the alarm activate.

• The smoke alarm will automatically reset once the button has been released after testing. If you are unable to reach the test button, please use a broom handle.

• DO NOT use a screw driver or put tape over the alarm.

• If you don’t hear a sound, contact Housing Direct straight away on 1300 137 677.

• Once the test is complete, remember to turn your power at the mains back on.

do test

do Not paint, remove or cover up

Safety device testing